


A Wanderer, drifting his way through life.

by TheMysteriousGeek2345



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Character Study, Errrr.... Characters growing old, F/M, Fluff, I wrote most of this fic in 2016, Only finished it due to a bet, The Ship makes sense in context, The ship is not a major part of the fic btw, Time travel.... Kinda, Written as a series of snapshots in Inigo's life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 23:49:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17590757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteriousGeek2345/pseuds/TheMysteriousGeek2345
Summary: After the events of Fates, Inigo is the only one who returns home to Ylisse.Except... Not.





	A Wanderer, drifting his way through life.

**Author's Note:**

> So, story time about this fic.
> 
> Back in 2016(?) I wrote the vast majority of this fic as at the time I was playing Fates and still kinda liked Awakening at the time. But then I got busy and this fic got abandoned.
> 
> Until two weeks ago. I made a bet on a Discord server that I was in regarding FE Heroes, and well... I lost said bet. So I finished this fic. I did kinda want to finish tbh, as the fic was slightly better than I remember it being. 
> 
> It took me a little longer than expected to finish, but I finally finished it an hour or so ago. Not sure if it's good or not, but I kinda like it so? I'm going to post it here.

In the end, Laslow (no- Inigo) was the only one who wanted to return to Ylisse.

  
Odin, as he now preferred to be called, was eager to fulfil his duties not only as a loyal retainer to Leo but also as a loving husband and father to a family that Odin had always wanted. Inigo thought it would be unfair to rob him of that. Yes, Odin was sad that he would never get to see Lissa or his father again, but on the whole he was happier in Nohr.

  
Meanwhile, Selena had also settled happily in Nohr. She had a large group of friends, both in Nohr and in Hoshido. She also had a small business running, with the support of her faithful boyfriend and her generous daughter. Again, Selena was sad that she wouldn't see her mother or her father again, but she was again a lot happier in Hoshido and Nohr then she had ever been in Ylisse. It would not be fair to take that away from her.

  
Inigo, on the other hand, was a bit of a dreamer, a drifter. He did have some friends in Nohr, but he wasn't as close to them as Selena and Odin were to theirs. Yes, there was Xander, who he was loyal too. But that was only one person. Inigo had also never married, or found someone who he had fallen in love with. Inigo didn't have any reason to stay.

  
To put it simply, Inigo missed Ylisse. He missed his mother and father. He missed his childhood friends. He missed... He missed her.

  
So, on one cold winter's evening, a year after the war between Hoshido and Nohr was ended, Inigo left Nohr's main palace with nothing more than his clothes, his sword, and one bar of gold as Xander's payments for his service during the war, never to return.

* * *

He was greeted at the Outrealm Gates by another Anna. He had left the orb with Odin and Selena, just in case they ever decided that they wanted to go back. Inigo doubted that they would though.

  
"Hey there, handsome!" She said cheerfully, "Do you want to go through the Outrealm gates?"

  
Inigo smiled, before saying, "I do, yes."

  
"Well, you're just in luck!" Anna said, with a large grin on her face, "Today is the last day that the Outrealm gates will remain open, so every trip is free!"

  
Inigo looked at Anna, feeling confused. After a moment of silence, he muttered, "Huh?"

  
"Well..." Anna sheepishly admitted, "Our Customers haven't been happy with the Outrealm service. Rumours of Faceless, Risen, Invisible Soldiers, Bandits, the occasional Gigantic Zombie Sheep... Business is down by over 90% in the last 6 months. It's no longer profitable to run the Outrealms."

  
Inigo nodded, before saying quietly, "So, what you're saying is that, as soon as I go through the Outrealm gate back to Ylisse, I can never ret urn?"

  
"That is correct." Anna sighed sadly.

  
Inigo nodded, before stepping through the gate...

  
And suddenly he was back in Ylisse. He didn't know where he was though. Some random field in the middle of nowhere. He would have to find his way back to Ylisstol, and tell...

  
Gods, he didn't want to do it.

  
He didn't want to tell Lissa and Cordelia that they would never see their children again. But he had to. He just didn't want to be in the room when they broke down into tears.

  
Eventually, he shook himself out of his thoughts, before he decided to hunt down the nearest village, mainly to find out where he was and how to get back to Ylisstol. And maybe he could pick up a pretty lass on the way...

* * *

Something was seriously wrong in this Outrealm.

  
For a start, when he finally arrived at the nearest village, he was amazed by how... Backward it seemed. There were no streetlights lining the busy streets. There was no running water from pumps. If Inigo wanted to collect water, the villagers said, he would have to go to the well on the top of the hill. The village hadn't even heard of crop rotation, for crying out loud!

  
Not only that, the citizens were talking about the dastard Exhalt Edmund instead of the Noble Exhalt Chrom. What had happened to Chrom? To... Lucina? Had they been overthrown by some power-mad noble and killed? Had they died in some unfortunate accident? Had they...

  
Inigo mentally chastised himself. Don't think like that. Maybe they didn't exist in this Outrealm...

  
Maybe they hadn't been born yet?

  
At once, everything clicked into place. Of course. Chrom's father was called Edmund. He was infamous for the war against Pelgia and for bringing Ylisse's economy to its knees. Miriel had invented street lighting and water pumps, whilst Donnel was the pioneer who developed crop rotation.

  
Inigo walked up to the barman, and asked what the date was.

  
The barman's answer confirmed his worst fears.

  
He was 26 years too early.

  
And he was stuck here.

* * *

After two months in the village, Inigo (or Livius, as he was known to the villagers) was growing restless. Everything here seemed so... Dull. He couldn't stay here. He had to move on.

  
But where should he go?

  
He only had one option, really. Ylisstol. If he went there, there was a lot of options that he could pursue. Working as a Mercenary? Becoming a Merchant? Working for the Castle? Plus, it would make travelling to other countries, such as Plegia, Chon'sin and Regna Ferox, much easier.

  
Wait... Plegia...

  
Inigo was suddenly struck with inspiration. What if he went into Pelgia, found Robin and got her out of there? Maybe he could even kill Validar in the process? Then she wouldn't be in danger of being used as Grima's vessel... That sounded like a plan.

  
The next morning, Inigo left the quiet village that had accepted him, with the intention of never going back.

* * *

18 months had passed since Inigo (or Blue, to most people) had left the village. He was busy working as a barman in Plegia's Capital city. He had pawned off the Gold Bar several months prior, and he had already spent most of the money he received from that purchase. If he didn't have a job, then he would be broke and homeless, and he would probably die soon after.

  
However, working in one of the busiest pubs in Plegia had its advantages. He could listen in on conversations, which would be extremely useful in both finding Robin and weakening the Grimeal. He could occasionally pickpocket the rich noble who decided to visit he pub, and they would leave none the wiser. He even had the opportunity to chat up the occasional lass...

  
Inigo heard his "name" being called. He paused, before looking around the pub. That was one of his...informants. Gerald. A nice man, who was an ex-member of the Grimeal. Knew a lot about the cult and its leaders (especially Validar). However, he rarely visited this pub.

  
"Ah, Gerald." Inigo smiled, as he greeted his friend, "How's things?"

  
Gerald smiled back, before replying, "Things are good at my end. The missus and the children are visiting her parents for the weekend, giving me some free time in the city. How are you? And when are you going to get that haircut you promised that you'd get...?"

  
Inigo chucked at Gerald's remark. Ever since he left the village several months prior, Inigo had let his dark coloured hair grow long. This was several reasons. One being that he didn't want to spend too much money. The other reason was that Inigo was extremely busy, what with working at a pub and killing members of the Grimeal when he wasn't working. His hair, which was getting to be as long as Ophelia's, was currently tied up in a braid that was draped across his left shoulder. His beard was nowhere near as long however.

  
After a pause, Inigo asked, "So, do you have any information on..."

  
Gerald nodded, "I do, Blue. There's a meeting in the town hall in seven days time. A lot of Grimeal Big wigs are going to be there. Just lay a trap, and you can get rid of most of the Grimeal in one fell swoop."

  
Inigo smiled, before saying, "Thanks, Gerald, I appreciate it."

  
"My pleasure." Gerald replied.

  
Inigo quickly returned to the bar, and continued working. All the while, he was formulating a plan in his head. How did he want to do this...?

* * *

 

Another year had passed, almost unceremoniously. After the successful raid on the Grimeal's meeting Inigo, of course, spent all of his time hunting down Validar and Robin in PPlegia. He didn't give a damn about the days, the weeks, the months that passed.

  
Eventually though, he managed it. He had found the small village that Validar and his family had settled in. And a plan had fallen into place.

  
That night, Inigo quietly used a lock pick to unlock the back door of Validar's house, before sneaking into the house itself. Finally, the Ninja skills that he picked up in Nohr were being put into good use. He found himself in a small kitchen area, and he could see a flight of stairs in the corner of his eyes.

  
After silently climbing up the staircase, he found himself in a small landing space. Two doors on the landing were open. One led to a small study of some sort (presumably Validar's), whilst the other led to...

  
"Perfect." Inigo thought to himself, "There's the bedroom."

  
He quietly snuck into the room. In the bed, he could see Validar sleeping, unaware of Inigo's presence. To the right side of the bed, there was a medium sized cot. That was where Robin was sleeping peacefully...

  
Inigo slowly pulled out a small dagger as he quickly, and silently, approached the bed. After taking a deep breath, he placed the dagger against Validar's throat. A few seconds later, blood was gently trickling out of a large wound in Validar's throat. Inigo watched Validar's breathing gradually came to a halt, as his life slowly left his body.

  
A minute or two later, Validar was dead.

  
Once Inigo confirmed Validar's passing, he tiptoed towards the cot. As soon as he grabbed Robin, he would quietly leave the way he came, and no one would know that Inigo had been there until the morning. Well, that was if Robin remained asleep...

  
"Huh?" Inigo thought to himself, as he looked at the two babies in the cot. Robin had a twin brother? What had happened to him in the original timeline? Inigo paused, before deciding that the best option he had was to get both babies out of that house, so that neither of them would be corrupted by the Grimeal... Or what was left of them.

  
After he managed to get both babies into his arms somehow, Inigo quietly walked out of the bedroom, praying that Robin and her twin brother would not wake up and start screaming. Luckily for him, both of them slept peacefully, as Inigo quietly crept out of that small Pelgian Village, never to return.

* * *

Seven months later, Ini... No, Livius, was struggling to make ends meet.

  
He was trying to raise two young children in a single room in Ylisstol with barely any money. Yes, the neighbours were incredibly supportive, once they had learnt of his plight. They babysat the twins (Robin and Mark), allowing Inigo... No, Livius, to get a small part time job. They bought him food and clothes for him and the children. One woman had even given him a free haircut and shave because Inigo... No, Livius had asked. But, even that wasn't enough at times.

  
Inigo... No Livius (Inigo needed to remember that) was growing desperate.

  
Somehow, In...Livius discovered that there was a minor noble who was looking for a sword instructor for his son, Frederick. The next morning, Ini-Livius walked into the minor noble's house.

  
"Good morning, sir." Ini-Livius said formally, "I am Livius. I heard you were looking for a sword instructor for your son?"

  
The minor noble looked at Inigo... Livius curiously, before saying, "You look... Rather young."

  
"Yes, I'm only 26 years old." Ini-Livius said quickly, "But I have a lot of experience for someone of my age."

  
The minor noble looked at Ini-Livius, with a smirk on his face, before muttering, "Prove it."  
Ini-Livius smiled as he drew his sword, intending to show this minor noble everything he had to offer.

  
After a while, the minor noble said happily, "You're... You're incredible."

  
"Thank you." Ini-Livius smiled, "I'm not just good with swords. Axes, Magic, Lances, Bows... I'm pretty adept with most weapons. Though I was never able to master the art of healing...."

  
The minor noble raised his eyebrows, and muttered something under his breath. He eventually turned towards I-Livius, before saying, "You'll have to show me sometime."  
"I will do." Ini-Livius smiled.

  
And, for the first time in a long time, Ini-Livius felt settled.

* * *

 

Inig-Livius woke up to find himself being violently shaken. He wearily rubbed his eyes, before sitting up in his bed. Beside his bed, he could see Robin, Mark and Frederick standing there, looking excited.

  
"Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Robin and Mark said in unison, before they jumped up into bed with their adopted father, placing a badly wrapped present into his hands.

  
Ini-Livius suddenly realised what day it was. It was his birthday, and he was now 30 years old. He had been teaching Frederick for four years now.

  
"Happy Birthday, Master Livius." Frederick said, more formally, as he handed a small box over to Ini-Livius. 

"Thank you very much." Ini-Livius smiled warmly, as he unwrapped both of his gifts.

  
Frederick had gotten Ini-Livius a pair of blue clufflinks, with Ylisse's flag painted on in fine silver paint. They were beautiful, and must have cost a lot of money. Frederick had quickly muttered that he saw his mentor looking at them in a shop once, and so he decided to buy it for him. Ini-Livius was touched by the thought. Meanwhile, Robin and Mark had made a small clay figure of Ini-Livius. Yes, the clay figure didn't really look like him at all but, again, Ini-Livius was really touched by the thought.

  
"Thank...thank you." Ini-Livius stammered his thanks.

  
"That's ok, Daddy!" Robin and Mark said cheerfully, "The manor staff are also going to hold you a mini birthday party! There is going to be cake, and celebrations and more gifts..."

  
Ini-Livius however, quickly interrupted his children, "You shouldn't have..."

  
"It was at my request." Frederick interrupted his mentor, "You have gone above and beyond what was expected of you when you took up the position of my swords tutor. We felt like you deserved this. I'm also not having any lessons with you today, as we felt you deserved the rest. What do you want to do today?"

  
Ini-Livius smiled, before saying, "I would like to spend some time with you three. You decide what you want us to do."

  
"Daddy, can you tell us a story?" Robin asked politely.

  
Mark nodded, adding, "We love your stories!"

  
"Yes, your stories are excellent." Frederick said, with a rare smile on his face.

  
Ini-Livius smiled, before he began to tell them tales of the "Mythical" Hoshido and Nohr kingdoms, and of the brave Princess Corrin and the Songstress Azura, who had given their all to bring peace back to the two Kingdoms. 

* * *

 

Two years later, Livius had just been appointed the Champion of the East Khan of Regna Ferox. He had been honourably dismissed three weeks prior, as Frederick was now a squire in the Ylisse Royal Army, and therefore Livius' services were no longer required. Livius was proud of that kid, and knew that he would serve Ylisse well.

  
He was currently in a small village, near to Regna Ferox's Capital. He had felt compelled to visit this small village in the middle of nowhere. After all, this was where his mother had been born, and where she spent the early part of her childhood. 

For the first time in a long time, Livius felt compelled to dance. He went to the outskirts of the village, and made sure that nobody was watching him. Once he felt that the coast was clear, he shut his eyes.

  
"You are the Ocean's grey waves." Livius sang to himself, as he moved his body in time with the music, oblivious to the world around him. He continued to sing Azura's song whilst he danced in perfect rhythm. He smiled. This felt... Amazing.

  
Eventually, a small voice interrupted him, "Excuse me, sir?". Livius broke out of his trance. He opened his eyes, and looked around. Eventually he saw a young girl, barely two years old, with short pink hair.

  
It couldn't be... Was that his mother? If so, he finally had a chance to meet her... Livius fought back tears, remembering all the times he had spent with his mother, both in his doomed Ylisse and in the Ylisse that he had helped to save. It was good to finally see her again.

  
"Hello there, miss." Livius knelt down, and looked straight into the young girl's brown eyes. He then said, "You wanted me?"

  
"I heard you sing." The girl smiled shyly, before saying, "It was pretty. You dance well too. I'm Livi, and you are...?

  
Livius smiled, "Why thank you, Livi. Is that short for Olivia, per chance? I'm Livius."

"Uh-huh." Olivia nodded, "I can't say it yet. It's hard to say."

  
Livius smiled, thinking about his own children for a moment, especially the difficulties that both of them had in pronouncing Robin's name at first. Mark and Robin, whilst sad that they wouldn't see Frederick as often, loved Regna Ferox. Especially all of the snow.

  
"Can you teach me?" Olivia said eventually, "To dance?"

  
Livius smiled warmly at his mother, before saying, "Of course, Olivia. I would love to."

* * *

It was at a small bar in Regna Ferox, one year later, when Livius had met her for the first time.

  
She had been sitting in a small table in the corner of the room, looking miserable. He decided to walk up to her in order to keep her company.

  
"Is this seat taken?" Livius asked quietly.

  
The red haired woman looked up, and shyly smiled at Livius. She quickly muttered, "Not really."

  
Livius paused for a moment, before realising that the woman looked disturbingly familiar... Eventually, he asked, "Is your name Anna, per chance?"

  
"I prefer being called Grace." She sighed, before sadly saying, "Yes, I am one of the many Anna sisters... But I'm not really. I... I cannot be a true Anna, nor do I want to be. I want to be an individual, to achieve my personal goals and desires. I don't want to blindly follow their Philosophy."

  
Livius said quietly, "What is your personal goal? Your desires?"

  
"I want to help people." Grace stated simply, "I don't care about money. I just want to see people smile. I don't know how I'm going to achieve that though."

  
Livius said quickly, "Just be yourself. You seem like a kind, strong willed young woman. Whatever you decide to do will probably make people smile."

  
"Thank you." Grace said quietly, as her cheeks slowly started to turn pink, "I want to know more about you. What's your name, and where are you from?"

  
For the first time since he arrived here, Livius felt like he could share his secret with someone. He whispered, "I am Livius, but I used to be known as Inigo or Laslow. I came from another version of Ylisse, but I went to Nohr in order to fulfil a dying god's last wish. I succeeded in my purpose, and then I tried to get back home, but instead..."

  
"You went through the Outrealms, didn't you?" Grace muttered, "On the last day that it was open?"

  
Livius nodded, "I did, yes. I ended up in a Ylisse that was several decades before my time."

  
"I remember hearing about you. Impatient Anna made a mistake that day. In a rush to see you through the gate, she actually picked the wrong gate for you to go through." Grace sadly said, "She was responsible for the Outrealm Gates becoming unprofitable in the first place. In a rush to get customers, she didn't make the adequate safety checks, and she didn't even check to see if she was sending her customers to the right Outrealm. Impatient Anna was fired, and well... The Outrealm Gates are going to reopen soon under new management."

  
Livius paused, threading his fingers through his short, dark hair. He swallowed, before saying, "So, I could go back if I wanted to."

  
"If you'd like to, then yes." Grace said, with a nod.

  
Livius took a deep breath, before muttering, "I...I...Not really."

  
"Is it because you're settled here?" Grace asked quietly.

  
Livius nodded, replying, "Partly. The main reason though is my children, Mark and Robin. I don't want to take them away from a world that they were born in, and I don't want to abandon them and go back on my own because I love them too much. Maybe one day, when they don't need me, I will go back. For now, though, I would like to stay."

  
"So, you're so settled here that you even got the chance to father some children?" Grace said teasingly, with a small smile on her face.

  
Livius sighed, before saying, "I adopted them. Their parents were members of the Grimeal. Robin herself is meant to be Grima's vessel. That's why I constantly tell her to wear fingerless gloves, so that... The remnants of the Grimeal don't try to corrupt her."

  
"You did a good thing by adopting them." Grace smiled warmly, before adding, "You know, we should stay in touch. You seem like a nice guy, and maybe... Maybe you could help me realise my dream."

  
Livius smiled, before saying, "I would love to." 

* * *

Another year had passed, and Livius could taste her on his lips. They'd been dating for roughly three months, and these last three months were some of the happiest in his long-ish life. Grace was the one. He just knew it. She was intelligent, kind, honest and brave and despite all of her flaws, she was perfect...

  
"Daddy?" Robin's voice distracted Livius from his thoughts.

  
Livius smiled at his daughter, before saying, "Yes, sweetie?"

  
"Is it true that you and Grace are planning to do charity work in Valm and Plegia?" Robin asked quietly.

  
Livius nodded, before asking, "Is that alright with you? I know that you've settled..."

  
"Can Mark and I come too?" Robin interrupted, "We both want to help people with stuff. Please?"

  
Livius smiled warmly at his kind daughter, "Of course you can. I mean, we would have to tell the East Khan that I'm no longer going to be her champion..."

  
"Moody Marisa would be mad that you're quitting." Livius looked up, and saw that Mark had entered the room, "She'd probably beg you to stay for weeks or hide in her room for days. Or she would just smack you in the face..."

  
Livius shook his head, a small smile on his face, "Now Mark. Remember that you are not supposed to talk about people behind their backs. Though... It's true that I do need to be careful about telling her that I'm no longer going to be her champion."

  
Mark chuckled quietly, "Good Luck with that."

  
Livius smiled at his son and daughter, before he retired for the night, and began trying to work out how to tell Marisa that he was leaving Regna Ferox in order to achieve Grace's dreams.

* * *

6 months into their charity work, Livius and Grace found themselves on the continent of Valm, having been invited to have an audience with King Walhart.

  
They'd already spent an extended period of time in Plegia, earning enough money to support the construction of several orphanages (one of which the future Mad King Gangrel was in, funnily enough.) The two of them _hoped_ that it would be enough to foster peace between Plegia and Ylissa in the future, especially when Validar was dead and Robin was safety with them.

  
But still, they worried.

  
"Are you ready, Livi?" Livius was shaken out of his thoughts as Grace walked up to him, "Walhart is waiting for us."

  
Livius nodded at his lover, as the two of them walked into the throne room. In front of them stood a younger version of Walhart, with a main of red hair instead of the snow white Livius was used to, his face looking a lot more youthful. Livius and Grace bowed before him, wishing to pay their respects.

  
"Thank you for having us, King Walhart." Livius said formally, "Though I still do not know why you invited us to stay with you."

  
"The pleasure is mine." Walhart smiled, "I was impressed by the work you and your family were carrying out in Phelgia and I wished to commend you in person."

  
"Thank you, King Walhart." Grace smiled warmly, "We weren't doing it for the praise but -"

  
"I can tell you are doing this out of a desire to help others." Walhart smiled back, getting out of his throne and approaching the duo, "I'd like to make you an offer."

  
"Oh?" Livius asked curiously, as Grace added, "What kind of favour?"

  
Walhart said calmly, "I wish to sponsor you as you travel throughout the continent, helping people whenever possible. In return, I would like you to contact the various leaders of this continent, especially the newly crowned leaders of Rosanne and Chon'sin, and arrange diplomatic meetings with me. I, too, desire for peace in this war torn continent, and I think that your approach is the right one."

  
On the one hand, Livius was hesitant about this proposition. He knew that there was the chance that Walhart would become a Conquerer in this world's future, as he had been in Livius' past, and Livius feared that Walhart was use this as a front to start his conquest anew.

  
On the other hand... Walhart seemed _genuine_ about his desire for peace. Maybe helping him to secure peace _now_  meant that, in the future, he didn't desperately decide to conquer the world in order to fulfil his corrupted desire for peace?

  
In the end, Livius decided to trust the man. He bowed again in front of King Walhart and said, with a hint of gratitude in his voice, "I formally accept your offer, King Walhart."

"Thank you." Walhart nodded.

* * *

Livius smiled, as Chrom dodged Livius' attack, before playfully stabbing Livius in the chest with a wooden practice sword. He had only returned to Ylisse 9 months ago, after Robin and Mark said that they were missing Ylisse. They made their goodbyes to King Walhart and returned home, and soon afterwards Livius became Chrom's instructor. Livius was proud of the boy's progress, as Chrom's skills blossomed under his tutelage.

  
"You're doing well, your highness." Livius said warmly, "You got me there."

  
Chrom laughed, "Haha, I did?!"

  
"You most certainly did." Livius chucked a little at Chrom's look of surprise, "Maybe one day you will be a better fighter than me!"

  
"That's the dream!" The ten year old prince smile grew wider, "I want to be the greatest swordsman in the land!"

  
"...Why?" Livius asked, curious as to what Chrom's response would be. He looked at Livius in confusion, before replying, "I want to be stronger."

  
"Why do you want that strength?" Livius asked again. Chrom shrugged. Livius sighed, before continuing softly, "Do you know why I first took up the sword, your highness?"

  
"...You wanted to be strong, right?" Chrom replied, unsure as to what Livius' response would be.

  
"I _had_ to be strong." Livius replied, "As a child, I wanted to be a dancer. But, when my mother and father died, I had to learn how to fight in order to protect myself and the people I care about.* _That_  is why I wanted that strength, and why I became strong. Every time you wield a sword your Highness, especially in combat, you must have a reason to do so. Now, I ask you again, why do you want that strength?"

  
"...Emm and Lissa." Chrom said quietly, after a few seconds of contemplation, "Emm works so hard for the people of Ylisse and it... It would be good to support her. And Lissa is my little sister... I have to protect her."

  
"Thank you." Livius smiled warmly, "Now, shall we resume our swords practice?"

  
Chrom nodded, a renewed sense of determination in his eyes. He said eagerly, "Bring. It. On." 

* * *

Two years later, Livius found himself in Emmeryn's office, his resignation documents lying on her desk. She was reading through them carefully, a look of sad acceptance on her face. She said calmly, "Prince Chrom will miss you."

  
"I know." Livius said sadly, "He's a good kid, but I've taught him enough. He needs a new instructor, because just relying on one fighting style can open up a variety of weaknesses."

  
Emmeryn nodded, "That _does_  make sense. I should open the position soon, even though I do not want you to leave. I do have one question for you though, if you do not mind me asking."

  
"Oh?" Livius said calmly.

  
"What do you plan to do next? You have done a lot, if what you've told me is indeed accurate." Emmeryn asked quietly, causing Livius to mentally chuckle to himself as his resume _hadn't_  listed his time in Nohr or the other Ylisse. She continued, "I am just curious as to what you plan to do with your time."

  
"I was planning to start writing." Livius admitted, "Raising Robin and Mark made me realise that I enjoy telling stories and well... Grace will soon have her hands full, and I _want_ to be there for her."

  
"What do you mean by that?" Emmeryn looked at Livius curiously.

  
Livius smiled warmly, "We only found out a few days ago, but Grace is having a child. Our little family is about to grow a little bigger."

  
"Congratulation." Emmeryn smiled back, just as warmly, "I will not deprive your wife of a husband, or your future child a father. But yes, do take it easy. You deserve it."

  
"Thank you, milady." Livius nodded, before he stood up and shook Emmeryn's hand, and promptly walked out of the office door.

* * *

Livius sat down in a small chair by Soleil's bed, with three eager children asking for a bedtime story. Livius smiled, before he fumbled for his reading glasses. His eyesight had steadily gotten worse in the last couple of years, and if he didn't have his glasses he wouldn't be able to see the words on the page.

  
Today, the three children wanted to hear a story about the Twin Monarchs of Renais. Odin especially wanted to hear the tales of the Brave Ephraim and Legendary Eirika and their journey to save the continent Magvel from ruin. Selena, on the other hand, pretended that she wasn't interested in the tale but the small smile on her face suggested otherwise.

  
"Once upon a time, there were two noble siblings." Livius began, as he weaved the tale of the war between Grado and Renais, and the allies the siblings encountered along their journey. The triplets listened eagerly, occasionally acting out scenes or asking questions. Eventually though, the tale finished as Livius recounted how Ephraim and Eirika's army was able to successfully ensure the Demon King's demise.

  
"Daddy?" Soleil asked quietly, once the story was finished.

  
"Yes, Sunshine?" Livius asked softly.

  
Soleil continued, "Can you tell us another story?"

  
"Yeah!" Odin said enthusiastically, "I would love to hear another story!"

  
Livius chucked at his children's enthusiasm, "I would do, but it is getting late. You three should be going to bed soon."

  
"Awww..." The three children mumbled weakly, as they stood up and slowly climbed into their beds. Livius smiled warmly, as he gently kissed each of his youngest three children and wished them a good night, before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

As the small clock in the house struck midnight, Livius realised that this was the year he was meant to be sent back to. This was the year that the war with Valm, and the defeat of Grima, had taken place in the Ylisse he had saved. And yet... Everything about this Ylisse was different. Emmeryn hadn't died. Gangrel had never become King. Walhart wasn't a conquerer. Validar was dead.

  
This version of Ylisse was at peace. And Livius wouldn't have it any other way.

  
Livius gently kissed his wife on the cheek, and smiled to himself when she kissed him back. He was blissfully happy with how everything had turned out. Yes, this wasn't what he was expecting when he first arrived here 26 years ago, but he has glad that he was here now.

  
Especially when the house was full, and all five of his children and Grace were here celebrating the new year with him. Robin and Mark had moved out a little while back, and had just started making their own year in the world, and whilst Livius was excited to see what the future had in story for them, he missed having them around.

  
Just then, he looked up, and saw Odin quickly stuffing a handful of sweets into his mouth. Livius chucked to himself, before saying, "Odin, no sweets before bed time."

  
"But Daddy...!" Odin swallowed the sweets he had consumed, before looking at Livius with large puppy dog eyes, "Please..."

  
Livius shook his head, with a smile on his face, "Odin, do you want to be a powerful Mage?"

  
"I do Daddy!" Odin said enthusiastically.

  
Livius smiled, before saying, "Then stop guzzling sweets and get some sleep."

  
Odin immediately nodded, before running up the stair case towards his bedroom. Grace and Livius chuckled to themselves, which quickly turned into a small giggling fit in the middle of the Kitchen. 

* * *

Eventually, Livius finally retired from life in the city. He and Grace had always considered moving to a small, peaceful village somewhere in the middle of nowhere, somewhere where they could enjoy the peace and quiet and smell the roses. However, it was only now that they could realise their dream. The triplets had grown up, and flown the nest, as their adult lives were beginning.

  
Odin had decided that he was going into Academia in order to study Magic, with the intention of working alongside Miriel and Ricken in making developments in the study and use of magic. Livius was proud of his son's decision, and was excited to see what his research could lead to in the future.

  
Selena, on the other hand, had immediately enlisted in the Shephards, as she wanted to help those in need and defeat bandits who threatened the future of Ylisse. Livius was also proud of his older daughter's decision, and knew that the future of Ylisse would be secure in her hands.

  
Livius was also proud of Soleil's decision. She had decided to put her magical ability to good use, and she had begun training with the Church as a Cleric. A lot of people's lives would be saved by her decision. Soleil had also recently moved in with her girlfriend, Annie, and they were planning to adopt several children in the future.

  
In the end, Livius and Grace had decided that they were going to move into the same village that Livius had found himself in when he first returned to Ylisse. Livius smiled warmly at the thought that his long journey would end where it began, as it was rather poetic in a sense.

  
The Livius that left that village over 30 years ago was young, full of zeal, with no knowledge of what his future would hold. The Livius that returned was older and wiser, with a desire to settle down peacefully.

  
"Livi, what are you thinking about?" Grace said warmly, distracting Livius from his thoughts.

  
Livius smiled, as he stroked his silver grey hair with his right hand, "I'm just thinking about how this village was where I started by journey in this Outrealm... And how different I am from the Livius that left this village..."

  
"Such as your younger self being a lot more muscular?" Grace gently teased her husband, to which Livius pretended to be offended by what she was implying. It _was_ true though. In the 15 years since he quit being a swords tutor and instead became a scholar and a house husband, Livius had gained a slight, but noticeable belly, with the muscles he had as a youth disappearing due to the lack of exercise. To be fair, Grace was a good cook, but she did tend to serve large portions of rich food.

  
"Well, that's true." Livius said eventually, "My younger self didn't have a protruding belly, a... Rather long beard and he didn't have to walk with a walking stick. But that's not what I meant..."

  
Grace chucked, as she threaded her fingers through Livius' beard whilst idly twirling it around her fingers, before kissing her husband gently on the cheek. She then said, "I know what you mean."

  
Livius smiled, as he stared at his wife happily. She was still beautiful, despite the fact that her once red hair was now a silvery-grey, despite the fact that the laughter lines on her face were prominent, and despite the fact that she also had a gained a small amount of weight. She was, in his eyes, the most beautiful woman in the world.

  
"I love you." Livius said quietly, so that only Grace could hear.

  
"I love you too." Grace whispered back, before saying, "We shouldn't really be standing around here all day. We need to help Mark and Robin with the unpacking of boxes."

  
Livius nodded, suddenly remembering that his two eldest children had taken the weekend off in order to help their parents settle into their new home. Mark was now a general in Ylisse's Royal Guard, tasked with defending Exalt Emmeryn, her husband Frederick and their three children from assassins and other people who wanted to do them harm. Robin, on the other hand, was a senior tactician in the Army, but she was currently on maternity leave. Her husband, Stahl, was also here, eager to help his in-laws move into their new home.

  
In the end, Livius was the only one who returned to Ylisse, as he didn't want to rob his friends of the lives that they had built. Yes, he wasn't expecting to find himself several decades in the past. However, he was glad that he had. Otherwise, he wouldn't have found his wife, his friends, his children... He had no reason to leave now.

  
At the age of 57, Livius had finally settled in a small village in Ylisse, never to leave again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I know I could have done more with certain characters, and fleshed out Livius' family a little more. Yes, I could have expanded more into certain events. But I decided not to do so, mainly because I wanted to leave things up to interpretation and give someone else the chance to do more with this AU, if they so desire. 
> 
> I also wanted to show case how Livius was a drifter, but slowly became more settled until he moved back into the village at the end. This in turn required me to have general snapshots of Livius' life... Which sadly meant that I didn't get the chance to flesh out the relationships a little more. 
> 
> I also vaguely remember not initially having the Inigo/Anna ship.... But then it inserted itself into the story. Oops.


End file.
